UPSC Key-June 21, 2022: Know the relevance of ‘Education in India’ to ‘Highly stressed States’ to ‘Sand mining’ for UPSC CSE

At table reworking school curriculum: 24 with RSS links

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Growth of Education in India: Historical Background from Vedic Period to British Period

• Growth of Education in the Post-Independence Period-Reforms taken so far

• Education was initially a state subject but following an amendment (42nd) to the Constitution in 1976, it became a concurrent subject-True or False?

• The gains in terms of the literacy rates of the Indian population since independence-Know in detail

• Constitutional Provisions Regarding Education- What Article 28, Article 29, Article 30, Article 21A, Article 45 and Article 46 says about Education?

• Education System in India-Know the Present Structure from Pre-primary level to Primary or elementary Level (Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan) to Secondary level (Rastriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan) to Higher education (Rastriya Uchhattar Shiksha Abhiyan)

• Goal 4 of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) related to Education and Govt of India’s initiatives/schemes/programmes to achieve the SDG Goal 4-Know in detail

• How National Policy on Education (NEP) 2020 and Sustainable development goals are linked?

• What are the salient features of New Education Policy 2020?

• How many policies India had so far and what was the fundamental objective of each which makes every policy unique?

• Know the Kothari Commission (1964–1966) recommendations to formulate a coherent education policy

• National Policy on Education (NPE) 1986 and New Education Policy (NEP) 2020-Compare and Contrast

• What do you understand by National Curriculum Framework?

• National Policy on Education (NPE) and National Curriculum Framework (NCF)-Connect the dot

• “If NEP is the guiding philosophy, then NCF is the pathway”-Elaborate

• How the content of Indian history textbooks are decided?

• Who decides the content of Indian history textbooks?

• Who prepares the National Curriculum Framework for school education?

• “History is always written by the winners”-How this statement is relevant in present Context?

• How ‘ideology’ influenced the course of Indian history?

• Indian history has faced massive distortions from the time of British rule-How far you agree with this statement?

• What are the most sweeping changes in social science school textbooks since 2014 in India?

• A textbook “rationalisation” exercise by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT)-Know the Key details

• What are the reasons given by Union Government for the textbook “rationalisation” exercise?

• Textbooks in India give “disproportionate attention” to caste-How far you agree with this statement?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Explained: How are history textbooks written?

📍Express Investigation — Part 1: From Emergency to Gujarat riots, lessons of past deleted from textbooks of future

📍Express Investigation — Part 2: Key deletions on caste, minorities in revised school textbooks

To end illegal mining, MP plans to make it legal in parts of Chambal sanctuary

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Map Work-National Chambal Sanctuary and Chambal River (Origin, drainage and mouth)

• Do you Know-National Chambal Sanctuary or National Chambal Gharial Wildlife Sanctuary is for the protection of the Critically Endangered Gharial, the red-crowned roof turtle and the Endangered Ganges river dolphin.

• The Chambal River is a tributary of the Yamuna River in Central and Northern India, and therefore forms part of the greater Gangetic drainage system-True or False?

• What is Sand?

• What you understand by the term ‘Sand mining’?

• In India, what are the main sources of sand?

• What Geological survey of India (GSI) says on Sand Mining?

• What are the Steps Taken By Government Of India to curb illegal sand mining?

• The recent Madhya Pradesh government proposal to open 292 hectares for mining in five stretches on Chambal and its tributary Parbati river-What exactly proposal says?

• Know the Concerns, issues and challenges associated with sand Mining in India

• What do you understand by the term ‘Environmental Impact Assessment’ (EIA)?

• Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Environment Protection Act, 1986-How they are related with each other?

• Why Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is Important?

• Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and India-connect the Dots

• Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Rules Amendment, 2006-Key features

• Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) notification 2020-Key Highlights

• Environmental Impact Assessment-Achievements, Issues and Challenges

• Supreme court of India on Environment Impact Assessment (ex-post facto environmental clearance)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍UPSC Ethics Simplified: What is Environmental Ethics?

📍Why unlawful sand mining in India needs good governance

EXPLAINED

Banning single-use plastic

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is Single-use plastics?

• What are the items being banned?

• How will the ban be enforced?

• How are other countries dealing with single-use plastic?

• What are Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016?

• Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022-Key Provisions

• Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016 and Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022-Compare and Contrast

• What do you understand by ‘Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)’?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Who is behind the global surge in single-use plastic?

Black Swan Event

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development

Main Examination: General Studies III: Indian Economy

Key Points to Ponder:

• What Is a Black Swan?

• When did the term originate?

• Is the Covid-19 pandemic a black swan event?

• Examples of Past Black Swan Events-Know them

• What Is a Black Swan Event in the Stock Market?

• Why Do They Call It a Black Swan Event?

• ‘Capital outflows to the tune of $100 billion (around Rs 7,80,000 crore) are likely to take place from India in a major global risk scenario’. Why RBI calling this a black swan event?

• Do you Know-According to National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL) data, foreign portfolio investors have pulled out a record Rs 2,08,587 crore ($26.75 billion) from the Indian markets in calendar year 2022 so far.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Black Swan

How bird hits happen, why they are a concern

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What do you understand by “wildlife strike”?

• What happened in recent Patna-Delhi Flight?

• What can happen as a result of a wildlife strike or Bird strike?

• Could bird strikes be critical to air safety?

• What causes bird strikes and what are some of the solutions to this problem?

• Airfield Environment Management Committee (AEMC)-Know the mandate and role

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍4 ‘wildlife strikes’ daily in 2021; DGCA writes to AAI, pvt operators

How lightning kills, and which areas are the most prone to strikes

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is lightning?

• Which areas are lightning-prone?

• Lightning by the Climate Resilient Observing Systems Promotion Council (CROPC) annual report-Key Highlights

• How common are deaths by lightning?

• How can the effects of lightning strikes be mitigated?

• Thunder and Lightning-Compare and Contrast

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Explained: Here’s how lightning strikes, and why it kills

THE IDEAS PAGE

Yoga, post Covid

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies I: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times

Key Points to Ponder:

• Orthodox Schools of Indian Philosophy-Know them in detail

• Orthodox Schools of Indian Philosophy and Yoga-Connect the dot

• Do you Know-Yoga is first mentioned in the Rigveda.

• Why International yoga day is celebrated on June 21st?

• What is the theme for 2022 International Yoga Day?

• What is the importance of yoga day especially for India?

• Know about Tirumalai Krishnamacharya and his contributions

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Eight years and many mudras to Yoga Day 2022

📍Explained: Why June 21 is observed as International Yoga Day

 THE WORLD

21st Amendment cleared by Lanka cabinet to trim President’s power

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main Examination: General Studies II: India and its Neighbourhood- Relations.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What will the 21st Amendment entail?

• Which amendments preceded the 21st Amendment?

• Previous Constitutional Amendments in Sri Lanka- Changes made by 19th Amendment

• What was the 19th Amendment?

• What was the 20th Amendment?

• Know about Sri Lanka Economic Crisis

• What Is a Line of Credit (LOC)?

• What is ‘Short term concessional loan facility’?

• Why Sri Lanka’s economy is in trouble?

• How India is helping Sri Lanka in this crisis Situation?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Sri Lankan Cabinet defers 21st Amendment to the Constitution by a week

📍Explained: The constitutional amendment proposed by Sri Lanka PM Rajapaksa amid protests

ECONOMY

5 states need to take steps to stabilise debt levels: RBI

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Why Bihar, Kerala, Punjab, Rajasthan and West Bengal are highly stressed states according to RBI?

• What makes a state highly Stressed?

• What do you understand by ‘Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP)’?

• What debt/ GSDP ratio indicates?

• Fiscal deficit targets for 2020-21 set by the 15th Finance Commission (FC-XV)-Know in detail

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍What the different state budgets tell us about overall public spending in 2022-23

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